Wilko’s ready to battle it out with the ‘new Jonny’

Jonny Wilkinson will tonight go head-to-head for the first time in the Guinness Premiership with the man who wants to take his England shirt.

Wilkinson and Danny Cipriani are due to line up against each other when Newcastle tackle London Wasps at Kingston Park. And the confrontation will reignite the argument about how soon England head coach Brian Ashton should hand the crown to the 20-year-old pretender.

The contest has captured the imagination at Newcastle, where all 10,200 tickets were snapped up yesterday.

Wilkinson's critics are in temporary retreat after the World Cup winner's goalkicking and game management steered England to the 24-13 win in Paris that got their Six Nations campaign back on the rails.

Never mind the naive tactical approach of Marc Lievremont's French side, it made Jonny virtually undroppable for the Scotland contest on 8 March. He will start it 26 points short of Gareth Jenkins's world record international points tally of 1,049.

But Newcastle will need no reminding of Cipriani's dazzling attacking talents after he scored two tries in a 20-point haul when they were thumped 35-12 at Adams Park in November while Wilkinson was sidelined with an ankle injury.

The pair opposed each other briefly in a low-key EDF Energy Cup game in December, Cipriani outpointing his rival 14-6 in the goalkicking stakes in a 24-6 win.

Wilkinson, however, insists he is unmoved by the inevitable attention surrounding their contest and his international form. He said: "In years gone by I'd have been concerned about all this, confused and worried about what everyone was thinking about me.

"If it's good enough and I get selected again, that's great; if it's not, then I'll honestly accept it and wish Danny or whoever else the very best."

Cipriani, marked out as the new Jonny since starring for England's junior sides while a schoolboy in Croydon, is more relaxed after two fleeting international appearances.

"It does take a while to feel a part of things with England," he said. "But luckily I've had bits here and there since I was 18 and I feel very comfortable."

Both teams are at full strength as Wasps recall Cipriani, Paul Sackey, Simon Shaw, Eoin Reddan and Phil Vickery from Six Nations duty while Newcastle are boosted by the return of Wilkinson, Toby Flood, Jamie Noon and Mathew Tait.

And while the Jonny-Danny show may capture top billing, there is an intriguing contest on the undercard.

Josh Lewsey was ditched by England before the start of the Six Nations but he opposes Tait at full-back and both have the chance to force Ashton's hand.

Iain Balshaw has looked increasingly insecure and Ashton can choose between Lewsey's defensive experience and the all-round flair of Tait, arguably England's best player in last year's World Cup Final.

"Mat Tait can play anywhere from 13 outwards and I don't get too emotional about what number he wears on his back," said Newcastle coach John Fletcher.

"At full-back there are one or two positional things and skills that are unique, but he is working on those. You want to have your best players on the pitch."

Cipriani is a candidate there, too, with Lawrence Dallaglio his most articulate advocate. He said: "What Danny needs is an introduction to international rugby. Maybe that could be better served done at 15, where you get a chance to read the game."